Reconceptualizing Curriculum for the Professional Development School: Methods Faculty Self-Reflections.

Snow, Jennifer L.; Silva, Diane Yendol

This study investigated how four teacher educators, who were collaborating with school-based partners to reconceptualize the portion of the teacher education curriculum traditionally delivered in the university methods courses, approached course reconceptualization. Data from interviews with the teacher educators highlighted four themes: learning how to create a participative culture and deal with the resulting tensions; being ready to look at one's own curriculum rather than reform someone else's curriculum; recognizing the threads that unite their work as teacher educators; and learning how to balance theory and practice. Despite all of the tensions throughout this collaborative planning experience, teacher educators recognized progress in the schools and in their teacher preparation. For example, mentors and principals were acknowledging successful practice on the part of the interns and improved practice and interest in professional growth on the part of teachers. Teacher educators acknowledged that they learned from both their work with teachers and their work with each other. They were reminded that change can be a slow process in schools and that PDS curriculum teams become organisms driven by certain tasks but influenced by so much more. (Contains 28 references.) (SM)